Pokémon Shuffle
Pokémon Shuffle (ポケとる Pokétoru?) is a 2015 freemium puzzle game developed by Genius Sonority and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game, which is a spin-off of the Pokémon series and is similar in gameplay to Pokémon Battle Trozei, was released on the Nintendo eShop on February 18, 2015.1 Pokémon Shuffle Mobile, a version for Android and iOS, was released on August 24, 2015 in Japan, on August 31, 2015 in most English-speaking countries2 and on January 20, 2016 in Germany.3 Contents 1 Gameplay 2 Release 3 Reception 4 References 5 External links Gameplay See also: Gameplay of Pokémon Battle Trozei Pokémon Shuffle, similar to Pokémon Battle Trozei, is a puzzle game in which players fight against various Pokémon by matching three or more of the same Pokémon on their bottom of their screen. Players accomplish this by swapping around Pokémon on the bottom of their screen. Players can take up to four support Pokémon with them, some of which can deal additional damage depending on their type (e.g. matching water-type Pokémon causes extra damage to fire-based opponents). Players progress through each stage by defeating the opposing Pokémon within a set number of moves, after which the player receives in-game coins and their Pokémon gain experience. Upon clearing a stage, players will have a chance to catch the Pokémon; the quicker the player defeats a Pokémon, the higher probability they have of catching it. If the player fails to catch it with their first Pokéball, they can spend coins to use Great Balls with a doubled chance of success, or retry the stage at a later date. Defeating Pokémon trainers earns Mega Stones, which allow certain Pokémon (if they have been successfully caught) to undergo Mega Evolution once a player has matched enough of them during a stage, granting bonus effects when matched. Players can also unlock Expert levels, which require the player to defeat a Pokémon within a time limit using unlimited moves. The game follows a freemium format in which the player requires hearts to attempt each stage, with the player able to recover up to five hearts by waiting a certain amount of time.4 Players can also use coins to purchase power-ups, such as extra moves, prior to entering a stage.4 Extra hearts and coins can be purchased with jewels, which are either earned by defeating trainers or purchased using Nintendo eShop funds.4 The game supports internet connectivity which offers bonus items and special limited-time stages to those who check in, as well as StreetPass functionality.56 Release On January 14, 2015, Pokémon Shuffle was announced by Nintendo as a free-to-play game for the Nintendo 3DS.7 The game was developed by Japanese studio Genius Sonority.8 The title was released on February 18, 2015, via download through the Nintendo eShop.9 In June 2015, a mobile version of the game was announced for Android and iOS.10 It released in Japan on August 24, 2015,11 and other territories on August 31, 2015.12 Post-release, the game has been supported with updates adding new stages and obtainable Pokémon.131415 Reception Reception Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings 59.58%16 Metacritic 56/10017 Review scores Publication Score Destructoid 3.5/104 Game Revolution 3.5/5 stars18 Hardcore Gamer 3.5/519 Pokémon Shuffle received mixed reviews from the media, scoring 56/100 on Metacritic,17 and 59.58% on GameRankings.16 Chris Carter from Destructoid was critical of the game, rating it 3.5/10. In particular he criticized the Hearts system, which requires 30 minutes for a single heart to regenerate. He also criticized the microtransactions, saying, "Anything truly enjoyable about the game is ruined by the microtransactions."4 Jacob Whritenour of Hardcore Gamer gave the game a more mixed review, scoring it a 3.5 out of 5 and saying "It’s fun and challenging enough to keep Pokémon and puzzle fans entertained," while also criticizing the microtransactions.19 As of September 2015, Pokémon Shuffle has been downloaded over 5 million times.20 As of December 2015, Pokémon Shuffle Mobile has been downloaded over 5 million times.21 References 1.Jump up ^ "『ポケとる』公式サイト". ポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト. 2.Jump up ^ Phillips, Tom (June 29, 2015). "Free-to-play Pokémon Shuffle headed to iPhone, Android". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 29, 2015. 3.Jump up ^ "Pokémon Shuffle Mobile: Pokémon-Puzzle neu im deutschen AppStore". Retrieved 2016-01-20. 4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Chris Carter (February 19, 2015). "Review: Pokémon Shuffle". Destructoid. Retrieved March 2, 2015. 5.Jump up ^ Rob Crossley (January 14, 2015). "Pokemon Shuffle is Nintendo's Next Free-to-Play 3DS Game". GameSpot. Retrieved February 1, 2015. 6.Jump up ^ "Pokemon Shuffle". The Pokémon Company. Retrieved February 1, 2015. 7.Jump up ^ Otero, Jose (January 14, 2015). "Pokemon Shuffle is Nintendo's Next Free-to-Play Game". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved October 17, 2015. 8.Jump up ^ McWhertor, Michael (February 19, 2015). "The new Pokémon puzzle game is Nintendo's most free-to-play thing ever". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved October 17, 2015. 9.Jump up ^ Rad, Chloi (February 18, 2015). "Pokemon Shuffle Is Available Now, Free For 3DS". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved October 17, 2015. 10.Jump up ^ Porter, Matt (June 29, 2015). "Pokemon Shuffle Mobile Coming This Year". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved October 17, 2015. 11.Jump up ^ Lazarides, Tasos (August 24, 2015). "'Pokemon Shuffle Mobile' Has Just Hit The Japanese App Store!". Touch Arcade. Retrieved September 9, 2015. 12.Jump up ^ Whitehead, Thomas (August 31, 2015). "Pokémon Shuffle Rolls Out on iOS in North America and Europe". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved October 17, 2015. 13.Jump up ^ Sirani, Jordan (March 30, 2015). "Rayquaza Special Stage Now Available in Pokemon Shuffle". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved October 17, 2015. 14.Jump up ^ Doolan, Liam (October 13, 2015). "Spooky Halloween Events Are Now Live In Pokémon Shuffle". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved October 17, 2015. 15.Jump up ^ Casey (October 5, 2015). "Challenge Mega Absol and Two Legendaries In Pokémon Shuffle". Siliconera. Retrieved October 17, 2015. 16.^ Jump up to: a b "Pokemon Shuffle for 3DS -". GameRankings. Retrieved March 15, 2015. 17.^ Jump up to: a b "Pokemon Shuffle Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 15, 2015. 18.Jump up ^ "Pokémon Shuffle Review". Game Revolution. February 24, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015. 19.^ Jump up to: a b Peeples, Jeremy (February 27, 2014). "Review: Pokémon Shuffle". Hardcore Gamer. Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved March 13, 2014. 20.Jump up ^ Jenni (September 14, 2015). "Diancie Joins Pokemon Shuffle To Celebrate Over 5 Million Downloads". Siliconera. Retrieved December 20, 2015. 21.Jump up ^ Casey (December 16, 2015). "Mewtwo And Regigigas Appear In Pokémon Shuffle This Week". Siliconera. Retrieved December 20, 2015. External links Official website Category:2015 video games Category:Android (operating system) games Category:IOS games Category:Nintendo 3DS eShop games Category:Nintendo Network games Category:Free-to-play video games Category:Puzzle video games Category:Pokémon video games Category:Single-player-only video games